World military expenditure in 2012 is estimated to have reached $1.756 trillion;

This is a 0.4 per cent decrease in real terms than in 2011 — the first fall since 1998;

The total is still higher than in any year between the end of World War II and 2010;

This corresponds to 2.5 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP), or approximately $249 for each person in the world;

The USA with its massive spending budget, has long been the principal determinant of the current world trend, often accounting for close to half of all the world’s military expenditure. The effects of global financial crisis and the post-Iraq/Afghanistan military operations have seen a decline in its spending, now accounting for 39% of spending in 2012.

SIPRI has commented in the past on the increasing concentration of military expenditure, i.e. that a small number of countries spend the largest sums. This trend carries on into 2012 spending. For example,

The 15 countries with the highest spending account for over 81% of the total;

The USA is responsible for 39 per cent of the world total, distantly followed by the China (9.5% of world share), Russia (5.2%), UK (3.5%) and Japan (3.4%)

Democracy is not installed through war, it is peacefully achieved with patience and perseverance through peaceful participation and open negotiations to implement a democratic political system where votes of majority overrides votes of a few

The Art of Creation is in Construction through Peace not Destruction through war

The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following them. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages.

Tyrants do not fight in the wars, they ride on the wars. The power is in the people, tyrants are powerless once people begin to love their neighbor as themselves.